Users are turning to mobile devices to perform more of their day-to-day computing tasks. Such users find it difficult to perform substantial work, on the small screen that is typically associated with the mobile computing environment.
Currently, a user wishing to work on his mobile device by interacting ‘simultaneously’ with multiple content items associated with different software applications, needs to interact with a single content item at a time. This involves successively executing and exiting each distinct software application in turn in order to interact with the related content item. The term ‘simultaneously’ in this context means switching easily between the content items in question with a minimum of operations.
Thus, for example, a user wishing to copy information from a spread-sheet document and paste the information into a word processor file currently needs to (a) open the spread-sheet document, (b) copy the desired data to memory, (c) close the spread-sheet file, (d) open the word processor document, and (e) paste the information into that word processor document. This sequence of operations is cumbersome, time consuming, prone to error, and significantly degrades productivity, performance and usability. The term ‘open’ in the present context as applied to a document or content item means executing a software application and opening a content item (also referred to as a document) associated with that software application. The term ‘close’ in the present context means (possibly) storing an active content item associated with a software application, and exiting the software application.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a prior art method for editing content items by successively executing and exiting associated software applications in the manner described above. The depicted process 200 commences with a step 201 in which a processor in the mobile device in question executes a desired software application (such as the spread-sheet program referred to above), and following an arrow 202, in a step 203 the processor displays a window in a display of the mobile device. In a step 205 following an arrow 204 the processor displays a list of selectable items (ie files or documents) for the spread-sheet program. In a step 207 following an arrow 206 the processor receives a select command from the user indicating a desired content item. In a step 209 following an arrow 208, the selected content item is displayed in the window referred to above.
In a step 211 following an arrow 210 the processor displays a menu of content manipulation options, including editing operations such as cut, paste and so on. The term manipulate is understood to include within it's scope both viewing and editing operations, unless otherwise stated. In a step 213 following an arrow 212 the processor receives a content manipulation command from the user, such as a command to select and copy a specified segment of text in the content item. In a step 215 following an arrow 214 the processor performs the manipulation command by applying the manipulation operation, copying the specified segment of text in the content item in the present example. In a test step 217 following an arrow 216 the processor determines if a further manipulation command has been received. If this is the case, the process follows a YES arrow 218 back to the step 215. If not, the process follows a NO arrow 219 to a step 220 in which the processor stores the content of the window. In a step 222 following an arrow 221 the processor exits the spread-sheet program and follows an arrow 223 back to the step 201 in which the user directs the processor to open the word processor software application.
Clearly the repetitive opening and closing of software applications and associated active documents (content items) which are being manipulated (ie viewed and edited) is cumbersome, time consuming, prone to data entry and control error, and degraded performance and productivity.